Casino Public School

Location: Casino, regional north coast, NSW

Casino Public school is a P-6 school of 700 students, located in rural north coast NSW. Two-thirds of students are from low-income backgrounds, 22% of enrolments are Aboriginal, and there is a small number of students from language backgrounds other than English. The school has a Support Unit comprising an IM class for students with mild intellectual disability, and three support classes.

How Casino Public School has used Gonski funding

Casino PS received $280,000 I Gonski funding for 2014-2015, which was targeted to literacy and numeracy improvement through introduction of new programs, professional learning for staff about tracking individual student progress and matching teaching practice to support each child, provision of high-quality reading resources for students, and extra support staff to assist students in the classroom.

How Gonski funding has made a difference for students

Results have been positive, with a higher proportion of students achieving at – or above – expected levels in literacy and numeracy. Staff professional learning has created a more collaborative teaching environment, and additional support staff has resulted in greater student engagement with improvement in both class work and achievement. Principal Gary Carter says, “Gonski funding has given us the flexibility and resources to challenge our students and get them to succeed beyond previous expectations.”

What Casino Public School could do with Gonski funding in the future

The full Gonski funding would provide continuity of funding and resources necessary for students to make the most of their ability. It would allow programs already established in the early years to flow through the whole school, with further investment in literacy & numeracy, programs to improve students’ social, emotional and academic well-being, and professional learning for teachers combining to build a solid platform for students’ future education.

Eagleby South State School, located halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has an enrolment of approximately 410 students from a range of socio-economic and culturally diverse backgrounds, including Pacifica, European, African and Asian.

Colac Primary School, located in rural Victoria, has an enrolment of 236 students, most of whom are from low-income backgrounds. Indigenous students comprise 4% of the students, with another 4% comprising students from non-English-speaking backgrounds.

Mansfield SS has a stable enrolment pattern of over 900 students. 20 per cent of its students were born overseas in 44 different countries, many of them coming to Australia from India, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

Wadalba Community School, located on the NSW Central Coast, is a comprehensive P-12 school with an enrolment of 1,400 students. 75% of students are from low-income backgrounds, 8% of students are Indigenous, and 7% of students are from non-English-speaking backgrounds.